It's viva Italia at new Adams restaurant
ADAMS TWP — The Double Wide Grill closed its doors Dec. 1, 2019. But Spello, an “authentic Italian” restaurant, opened them again Feb. 7.
“We're three weeks in,” said Justin Melnick, Spello's executive chef. “It was a pretty fast turn (around).”
Former Double Wide Grill owners Steve Zumoff and Scott Kramer still own Spello. But they brought Melnick in as a “chef-partner.”
The trio began discussing ideas for a new restaurant theme in October 2019 and closed the restaurant around Thanksgiving to begin renovations.
“They wanted to change the concept of the restaurant,” Melnick said.
Spello is named after an ancient Italian village. Melnick, an award-winning chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, said he has spent significant time in Italy. Italian cooking and traditional techniques are important to him.
“I certainly have an affinity for Italian cooking,” Melnick said.
The menu, which Melnick constructed with Zumoff and Kramer, uses seasonal, local ingredients to create handmade dishes. Some foods, like pasta and bread, are made from scratch on-site.
“(We're) probably rolling about 20 pounds of pasta a day,” Melnick said. “It's definitely a labor of love.”
Spello is “upscale casual,” according to Melnick, that still has some of the Double Wide Grill's “industrial feel.” Melnick said the new restaurant overall is more refined, with wines on tap and colorful dishes.
A news release issued about the restaurant's opening said Melnick has “perfected his tagliatelle Bolognese” over the past 10 years.
“We're trying to stay true to authentic Italian,” Melnick said. “We'll work seasonally.”
Aside from fresh pasta, Melnick anticipates one of Spello's more unique features will be its bruschetta boards.“The village of Spello is known for olive wood,” Melnick said. “(And) we wanted to be a little more unique.”Customers who order a bruschetta board will be able to choose from 10 toppings, which includes such items as swordfish pâté. Melnick said the idea is to offer customers different flavors instead of well-worn Italian dishes like pizza.Melnick is originally from New Hampshire, but he has been visiting Butler County for years. His wife, Emily, is a pastry chef who grew up here.The couple has moved their family to Mars. Melnick said he's excited to be a Butler County resident with a Butler County business.“I like being able to be part of the community,” Melnick said.The restaurant's 135 seats don't include additional space the owners are planning to carve out for special events.Eventually, Melnick hopes the restaurant will be able to offer events such as cooking classes and wine tastings. On Mondays, he also wants to open the bar and bring in food trucks.“It gives the kitchen a break,” Melnick said. “But it also exposes the restaurant to a whole different guest list.”For now, Spello is getting its feet underneath it — and under tables. The restaurant is serving dinner Tuesday through Sunday, although it will expand its hours in the future.Visitors can learn about what Spello has on the menu and make reservations at spellorestaurant.com.
